Systems and methods for dynamic access to program features

• US 8,909,777 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chasen, Jeffrey M., Elman, Joshua E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US12/962,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20110138445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

The multimedia client-server system provides a multimedia client program with a set of features and a server system that creates feature access information that determines which features are to be made available to a particular user. The server system may send the feature access information to the user such that the information is accessible to the multimedia client program. The multimedia client program may dynamically control the user'"'"'s access to the program'"'"'s feature set by using the feature access information to validate and verify the user. In addition, the feature access information may be accessible to the server system, such that the server system may periodically update the feature access information, such as, for example, when the user accesses the server system to download multimedia content.

Claims

1. A client system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a user selection that indicates a first additional feature of a client program executing on the client system, from among a plurality of additional features of the client program, that the user desires to be enabled;

transmit the user selection to a server system;

receive from the server system feature access information, wherein the feature access information indicates the first additional feature should be enabled and a second additional feature should remain disabled, and wherein the feature access information is updated by the server system each time the user accesses the server system;

store the feature access information on the client system;

retrieve the feature access information for enabling the first additional feature of the client program executing on the client system, wherein the first additional feature of the client program is ancillary to a primary function of the client program; and

enable use of the first additional feature of the client program by a user of the client program executing on the client system upon a determination by the client system that the access information permits access to the first additional feature of the client program.

2. The client system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory storage medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive new feature access information indicating the first additional feature should be disabled and prevent use of the first additional feature of the client program by the user of the client program executing on the client system upon a determination that the access information does not permit access to the first additional feature of the client program.

3. The client system of claim 1, wherein the client program is a multimedia player.

4. The client system of claim 1, wherein the client program is an audio player.

5. The client system of claim 1, wherein the access information includes information related to a subscription package of the user for the client program.

6. The client system of claim 1, wherein the access information includes information related to a profile of the user.

7. The client system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory storage medium further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to verify that the access information is associated with the user.

8. The client system of claim 1, wherein the access information is generated by a remote server in communication with the client system and sent to the client system by the remote server.

9. The client system of claim 1, wherein the access information is periodically validated by a remote server in communication with the client system.

10. The client system of claim 9, wherein the access information is periodically validated by the remote server upon a trigger event.

11. The client system of claim 10, wherein the trigger event includes at least one of the following:

an expiration of at least a portion of the access information;

a user request to change the user'"'"'s access to one of the plurality of additional features; and

failure of the user to login to the remote server within a predetermined period of time.

12. The client system of claim 1, wherein receive the user selection comprises presenting a user interface displaying a list of the plurality of additional features of the client program from which the user selects the additional feature to be enabled.

13. The client system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

detect the feature access information is stale;

in response to detecting the feature access information is stale, automatically authenticate the user with the server system without action by the user; and

retrieve updated feature access information.

14. A method performed by a client system comprising a processor and a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving a user selection that indicates a first additional feature of a client program executing on the client system, from among a plurality of additional features of the client program, that the user desires to be enabled;

transmitting the user selection to a server system;

receiving from the server system feature access information, wherein the feature access information indicates the first additional feature should be enabled and a second additional feature should remain disabled, and wherein the feature access information is updated by the server system each time the user accesses the server system;

storing the feature access information on the client system;

retrieving the feature access information for enabling the first additional feature of the client program executing on the client system, wherein the first additional feature of the client program is ancillary to a primary function of the client program; and

enabling use of the first additional feature of the client program by a user of the client program executing on the client system upon a determination by the client system that the access information permits access to the first additional feature of the client program.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises receiving new feature access information indicating the first additional feature should be disabled and preventing use of the first additional feature of the client program by the user of the client program executing on the client system upon a determination that the access information does not permit access to the first additional feature of the client program.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the client program is a multimedia player.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the client program is an audio player.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the access information includes information related to a subscription package of the user for the client program.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the access information includes information related to a profile of the user.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises verifying that the access information is associated with the user.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the access information is generated by a remote server in communication with the client system and sent to the client system by the remote server.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the access information is periodically validated by a remote server in communication with the client system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the access information is periodically validated by the remote server upon a trigger event.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the trigger event includes at least one of the following:

an expiration of at least a portion of the access information;

a user request to change the user'"'"'s access to one of the plurality of additional features; and

failure of the user to login to the remote server within a predetermined period of time.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting the feature access information is stale;

in response to detecting the feature access information is stale, automatically authenticating the user with the server system without action by the user; and

retrieving updated feature access information.

26. A non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a client system, cause the processor to perform a method including:

receiving a user selection that indicates a first additional feature of a client program executing on the client system, from among a plurality of additional features of the client program, that the user desires to be enabled;

transmitting the user selection to a server system;

receiving from the server system feature access information, wherein the feature access information indicates the first additional feature should be enabled and a second additional feature should remain disabled, and wherein the feature access information is updated by the server system each time the user accesses the server system;

storing the feature access information on the client system;

retrieving the feature access information for enabling the first additional feature of the client program executing on the client system, wherein the first additional feature of the client program is ancillary to a primary function of the client program; and

enabling use of the first additional feature of the client program by a user of the client program executing on the client system upon a determination by the client system that the access information permits access to the first additional feature of the client program.

27. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the non-transitory storage medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive new feature access information indicating the first additional feature should be disabled and prevent use of the first additional feature of the client program by the user of the client program executing on the client system upon a determination that the access information does not permit access to the first additional feature of the client program.

28. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the client program is a multimedia player.

29. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the client program is an audio player.

30. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the access information includes information related to a subscription package of the user for the client program.

31. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the access information includes information related to a profile of the user.

32. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the non-transitory storage medium further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to verify that the access information is associated with the user.

33. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the access information is generated by a remote server in communication with the client system and sent to the client system by the remote server.

34. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the access information is periodically validated by a remote server in communication with the client system.

35. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 34, wherein the access information is periodically validated by the remote server upon a trigger event.

36. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 35, wherein the trigger event includes at least one of the following:

an expiration of at least a portion of the access information;

a user request to change the user'"'"'s access to one of the plurality of additional features; and

failure of the user to login to the remote server within a predetermined period of time.

37. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, wherein the method further includes:

detecting the feature access information is stale;

in response to detecting the feature access information is stale, automatically authenticating the user with the server system without action by the user; and

retrieving updated feature access information.